Veterans with PTSD find comfort on the farm

Berea College photo: Growing Warriors
participating in Grow Appalachia program

Recent veterans, many of whom are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, have found comfort in farming, where they can get outside instead of being stuck in the cramped confines of an office, Nancy Marshall-Genzer reports for Marketplace.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which says 45 percent of service members are from rural areas, has begun creating farming programs for veterans, such as Growing Warriors, based on a 286-acre spread in Eastern Kentucky. Farm manager Kevin Lanzi, a former Marine suffering from PTSD, told Marshall-Genzer, “I finally found farming, and ever since I’ve never looked back. Just seeing what you’re making. The responsibility is all you. It’s awesome.” West Virginia has a similar program called the the West Virginia Veterans and Warriors to Agriculture Project.

Craig Bryan, head of the National Center for Veterans Studies at the University of Utah, says farming can offer temporary relief from PTSD although therapy is still required. He told Marshall-Genzer, “They’re distracted. They’re engaged in something that’s fun, and they don’t necessarily have to think about or it’s easier to avoid those memories and thoughts of the traumatic event." (Read more)